At the outer perimeter of the island base, Jiraiya was moving swiftly, following a battle toad that hopped ahead of him toward the facility's core.
The toad stood nearly two meters tall, its entire body clad in heavy armor—clearly a combat-type, specialized in defense. Though its power couldn't compare to the mighty Gamabunta, it was more than capable of clearing the traps and mechanisms along their path.
"Orochimaru! Come out already! I'm taking you back to Konoha—come out and face me!"
At this time, Jiraiya hadn't yet become the unkempt old sage people would one day know. He was still a strikingly handsome man—a charming, confident figure in standard shinobi attire, a storage scroll slung across his back.
Suddenly, a kunai came whistling from afar. The armored toad didn't manage to block it in time, and it flew straight toward Jiraiya.
Cautious as ever, Jiraiya didn't try to dodge arrogantly like Uchiha Izuna once did—instead, he immediately activated one of his signature techniques.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"
His already long hair grew wildly, wrapping around his upper body until he was completely cocooned within it. Each strand hardened into a steel-like spike, forming a living armor—a soft, yet deadly hedgehog shell.
Clang!
The kunai struck the barrier and bounced away harmlessly.
Before it could hit the ground, a figure flickered into existence beside it—Tahara Rokuro. His hands were already forming seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
At such close range, the Fireball hit like a cannon blast. The explosion sent Jiraiya flying several meters before bursting into smoke—the Jiraiya that had been hit was only a shadow clone.
A gust of foul wind swept in—an armored toad swung its massive arm down toward Rokuro.
Crackling lightning surged around Rokuro's body. He met the blow head-on, fist against fist.
BOOM!
The impact thundered through the area. The armored toad was sent flying backward, its armor acting as a perfect conductor—it was electrocuted inside-out before it even hit the ground, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"Toad Mouth Bind!"
The corridor walls instantly turned into red, fleshy tissue, glistening with viscous acid—Jiraiya had summoned the stomach of the Iwayado Giant Toad, his signature restraining technique.
But just as the fleshy walls closed in, Rokuro disappeared.
Jiraiya stepped out from between the pulsating walls, his face grim.
"As expected… a space–time technique. Since when did Orochimaru have someone this powerful under his command?"
He stomped the ground, dispelling the summoning, and the toad's stomach receded. Then he turned and sprinted for open ground.
He knew full well that fighting a space–time user in a confined area was suicide. He needed space to maneuver.
"Earth Style: Great Fracture!"
Fearing he might not make it in time, Jiraiya unleashed a massive Earth Release technique, tearing the facility apart as he surged upward to the surface.
On the island above, Jiraiya landed and immediately reactivated Needle Jizō, wrapping his entire body in his hardened hair for full, all-directional defense—clearly wary of Rokuro's teleportation tricks.
Then—countless slips of paper fluttered down from above.
Jiraiya's expression darkened. Explosive tags! He hurriedly formed seals.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust blasted from his mouth, scattering the papers. A few slipped through—but his hair armor easily deflected them.
At that moment, Rokuro appeared atop one of the papers, striking down with a blinding hand chop aimed at Jiraiya's head.
The blow landed. Crack! Jiraiya cried out as he was sent flying, though his Needle Jizō had softened the attack. Rokuro's hand had only sheared through several hardened strands of hair.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Flipping upright, Jiraiya slammed his palms into the ground. A vast bog spread outward, swallowing everything around it. At the same time, he summoned another toad beneath his feet—using it as a platform to stay afloat while the mire devoured the earth below.
Rokuro's legs began to sink, but before the swamp could pull him under, he vanished with the Flying Thunder God.
"As I thought… the Flying Thunder God Technique. Those papers weren't explosive tags—they were teleportation markers!"
"Impressive, Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin," Rokuro said with admiration. "You're the fastest to figure that out among everyone I've fought."
He stood just beyond the edge of the swamp, studying the man known as the Great Toad Sage.
Among Konoha's elder powerhouses, Rokuro respected Jiraiya the most—second only to Uchiha Madara.
If Madara was the ultimate charismatic villain, Jiraiya was the embodiment of pure heroism—bright, upright, and utterly selfless.
Though "righteous hero" had long become a tired or even cynical label, Jiraiya's righteousness was genuine—untainted.
In him, Rokuro saw the rare spirit of the way of the samurai—honor and compassion combined. Unlike most shinobi, who lurked in shadows like rats, Jiraiya stood in the open light.
He was one of the few who had transcended the idea of village loyalty—a man who thought not just for Konoha, but for the entire shinobi world.
By comparison, someone like Shisui, whose vision was confined to a single village, couldn't even stand on the same level.
Madara too had shared that same grand vision—though led astray by Black Zetsu, his perspective had been far beyond the narrow borders of a single nation.
"Who the hell are you?" Jiraiya demanded. "Since when did Orochimaru have a subordinate like you? And where did you learn the Flying Thunder God?"
Rokuro chuckled, then realized his mask hid his face—so the gesture was pointless.
"The Flying Thunder God is a forbidden jutsu of Konoha," he replied lightly. "Naturally, I learned it from the Scroll of Seals."
Jiraiya's expression hardened instantly. His eyes widened.
"You… you're the one who stole the Scroll of Seals—and gathered Nine-Tails chakra!?"
"That's right," Rokuro said, his tone almost teasing. "Even though you're not in Konoha, you seem well-informed. As expected of the great Jiraiya of the Sannin. I wonder, though—what about the other one, Lady Tsunade? I'll have to pay her a visit someday."
"What is it you really want? From the sound of it, you're not working for Orochimaru!"
Rokuro was about to reply—then paused.
Jiraiya hadn't moved for several seconds now, frozen in place like a statue.
But Rokuro could tell this wasn't a shadow clone or substitution technique—surrounded by swamp, there was no way Jiraiya could have slipped away unnoticed.
"Wait… Sage Mode? Damn it!"
"Hah! Too late, boy!"
Jiraiya slammed his hand to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Two small figures appeared on his shoulders—the Toad Sages Fukasaku and Shima. The giant toad and the swamp beneath vanished.
Seeing Jiraiya's slight frog-like transformation, Rokuro narrowed his eyes. The real battle was about to begin.
"Well, this is a bit unexpected," he said calmly, readying himself. "But I came prepared to face you in Sage Mode, Jiraiya-sama. I've always wondered… what kind of strategy could possibly counter my Flying Thunder God?"
END OF CHAPTER
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